"Furthermore," Tezuka hadn't even finished speaking. The others dismissed their previous thoughts and looked at Tezuka again.
"The original training regimen must be reformed. Especially for those who will become regulars later, their daily training will be twice that of regular players."
"As the captain and vice-captain, we must lead by example. If you ever see me or the vice-captain failing to meet our training standards, you can point it out to us directly or go to the coach's office and talk to Coach Sakaki."
"Ice-Imperial Academy's tennis club reached the National Tournament semifinals last year. My goal this year will be National Champions."
"Put away your lazy habits and climb with all your might!"
Tezuka's words, without a doubt, shook their very souls. National semifinals—that truly was the first time Ice-Imperial Academy's tennis club had achieved such an honor. But was reaching the semifinals enough? Clearly, it was not! Those "veterans" who had been with Ochi had personally witnessed the unwillingness and humiliation on the faces of the regulars who lost those matches. They craved victory more than anyone.
It's just training, right? It's not like they hadn't trained before. If they couldn't even keep up with those first-years, then all their years of effort would have been for nothing.
"Dismissed. Begin today's training."
Tezuka shook the training schedule in his hand. He would post it on the lounge door later. The training content on it was almost entirely custom-designed according to Tezuka's own rigorous standards. Some people with weaker physiques might not be able to keep up at first, but over time, they would adapt to the rhythm of the training outline. At least, that's how Tezuka himself had progressed step by step.
Kamikawa's Perspective
"Heh heh..." Kamikawa scratched his head, approaching with an embarrassed expression. "Tezuka, this training regimen... maybe I should just skip it?"
"No way!" Tezuka decisively shook his head.
"You know I have my own dedicated training regimen every day; yours isn't suitable for me." Kamikawa had roughly glanced at the training subjects on the list; they were about 1.5 times heavier than what he usually did. Although he could improve his physique by training more, spending extra time on content that offered only marginal improvement was a bit much to ask.
"Then adapt with all your might," Tezuka said. "With your physique, that amount of training is nothing."
Tezuka knew in his heart that his childhood friend, besides his usual training, didn't want to participate in any extra training. Sometimes, even for practice matches, he had to personally go and call him, and only after offering a bottle of cold soda would Kamikawa reluctantly play a few games with him. He was the one who tricked Tezuka into coming to Ice-Imperial Academy in the first place! And now he wanted to bail? No way.
"Alright~ You're the captain, what you say goes."
What else could Kamikawa say? He hadn't even completed his training for the day, so adding a bit more was acceptable. The Metropolitan Tournament qualifiers were scheduled for mid-month for the new students. Even the previous Ice-Imperial Academy could completely overwhelm other tennis schools in the qualifiers with their absolute strength. Plus, Ice-Imperial Academy had consistently advanced as the number one seed in the Metropolitan Tournament qualifiers, so the qualifiers were practically a formality, with most schools aiming to compete for second place.
Coach Sakaki's Keen Eye
"Not bad at all."
Tarou Sakaki, who had been quietly observing from the second floor, nodded in satisfaction. To avoid unnecessary trouble, he had been observing from the window after Tezuka left the classroom. It proved that Tezuka indeed possessed the charisma of a leader, and that kid also gained the authority he desired. For a group of first-years to achieve this was already outstanding. One had to remember that even Ochi's performance as a first-year back then wasn't as exceptional as Atobe's and Tezuka's.
"A genius from Osaka, Tezuka from Tokyo, and that kid from England... they've certainly formed a good core team," Tarou Sakaki nodded in satisfaction. "Wait, it seems there's another kid."
He seemed to have remembered something, his gaze sweeping through the crowd, firmly locking onto Kamikawa, who was running laps around the court. His mind also recalled yesterday's match. "Able to easily defeat the Kansai Wolf from Osaka 6-0, and he was the JR Tournament champion a few months ago? Is he deliberately holding back?"
On Sakaki's desk lay a file, a file containing information about Kamikawa. Initially, Sakaki hadn't taken it seriously. After all, geniuses appeared frequently, but that particular JR Tournament was different. According to his friend in Kanagawa Prefecture, the one defeated by Kamikawa was hailed as a Child of God. Furthermore, Kamikawa had also defeated Tezuka in the finals.
"These few, perhaps they can truly become National Champions."
"I never thought that after Ochi left, Ice-Imperial Academy's tennis club would undergo such a transformation."
"This is truly an unexpected turn of events."
Tarou Sakaki's eyes flickered slightly, his gaze deepening. He knew in his heart how important the title of National Champion was—a goal that even he and Ochi, working together for three years, couldn't achieve. This time, Sakaki saw a glimmer of hope. However, it was still too early to speak of such things. The National Tournament was not that simple.
Thump, thump, thump
A sudden, urgent knocking sound came from outside the door. Tarou Sakaki's expression instantly darkened. He glanced impatiently at the door. "Come in..."
No Place for the Weak
As the wooden door was pushed open, the one who entered was none other than Ino Nagakawa, who had been loudly complaining on the court earlier.
"Coach Sakaki."
Nagakawa swallowed, lowering his head, and said, "I... I came here because..."
"Ino Nagakawa, right?" Tarou Sakaki didn't look Nagakawa directly in the eye, slowly sat on his chair, crossing his legs, his tone cold.
"Yes... Yes..."
Sakaki's aura was very strong; Nagakawa didn't know how to bring up the matter for a moment.
"I already know the purpose of your visit." Tarou Sakaki's heart was filled with disdain. Unable to win by skill, he came running to seek the coach's protection. Ice-Imperial Academy's tennis club was experiencing a talent gap precisely because of such parasites. Before Ochi left the tennis club, he hadn't even appointed the next captain, which showed that Ochi hadn't thought much of these people at all. He would rather see Ice-Imperial Academy's tennis club decline than see a bunch of parasites wearing official team uniforms and participating in matches.
"Then... Coach Sakaki, I..."
Nagakawa's heart swelled with joy. He looked up at Tarou Sakaki. What he saw were a pair of indifferent eyes. Tarou Sakaki slowly stated, "Since you have already voluntarily left the court, you are no longer a member of Ice-Imperial Academy's tennis club."
"What?!" Nagakawa's eyes widened. He couldn't believe these words came from Tarou Sakaki's mouth.
"Tezuka as captain, Atobe as vice-captain—this is something I've silently approved. Likewise, first-years being eligible to be regulars is also something I've silently approved."
"If you don't have the skill to hold your spot, then leave the tennis club as soon as possible."
"The tennis club doesn't lack loyal people; what it lacks is the determination to lead Ice-Imperial Academy's tennis club to national dominance."
Tarou Sakaki's cold gaze swept over Nagakawa. His actual skill wasn't enough. If his actual skill had been outstanding enough, he would have been an official member last year. Why wait until Ochi and the other third-years graduated to barely scrape by as an official member?! In tennis, the victor is king, and the loser is the villain. Tarou Sakaki was not a pedantic man; he believed even more in the supremacy of skill.
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